11 Apr 2010

I made this skirt using a rainbow striped shirt -- I keep coming across such pretty men's shirts! It was too short to make a dress and I thought it would make a perfect summer skirt. The fabric is very light and crisp so it will be cool in the warmer weather.

It was really fun working out how to make it. I was aiming for a somewhat full shape which nips into a fitted waistband, to wear with a top tucked in. I'm generally pleased with how it came out - I asked myself whether I'd want to buy it if I saw it in a shop, and the answer was yes, so I'm happy - but there are a couple of things I will change next time:

1. I'll choose a long-sleeved shirt so there is some excess fabric in the sleeves to form a wider waistband. Here, I had to take fabric from either side of the shirt to form the waistband which was quite tricky. Next time I'd like a deeper waistband and a fuller skirt.

2. I might try gathering the skirt instead of using pleats. I started off gathering this one, but it felt too bunchy. Next time I'll persist with the gathering as it might look OK once it's sewn in place.

Nice! I did a super similar transformation last week, but mine's not gathered. The gathers are cute, I should do that next!I'd love if you'd check out my tutorial, http://adventuresindressmaking.blogspot.com/2010/04/one-of-greatest-mens-shirt-makeovers.html